merely

Everyday

1. (formal) Merely means only or just, showing that something is small or not important. tree →
2. Merely can mean nothing more than: "It was merely a joke". tree →

In the lessons

It appears in formal texts and stories: "She merely smiled". In maths texts it can tell you a number is small: "merely 3 out of 30". Everyday speech uses "just" or "only". Phrases: merely a, not merely ... but also.

Examples

• It was merely a scratch, not a big cut. tree →
• He merely shrugged and walked away. tree →
• I was merely asking a question. tree →
• Merely 2 of the 30 pupils were late. tree →
• The wolf was not merely hungry, but starving. tree →
• The dog is merely playing; it won't bite. tree →
• Saying sorry is not merely polite, it is kind. tree →
• She merely looked at the cake, but did not eat it. tree →
• And the man replied, ‘Why, I’ve merely been gathering a handful of brushwood.’ tree →

Note

Formal; everyday words: just, only. Comes from "mere" (a mere child). "Not merely ... but also" = not only ... but also.

In Jewish tradition

It appears in formal texts and stories: "She merely smiled". In maths texts it can tell you a number is small: "merely 3 out of 30". Everyday speech uses "just" or "only". Phrases: merely a, not merely ... but also.

Examples

• Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• As zero is not a digit itself, but only occupies the place of a digit, so the silent n is not a vowel itself, but merely occupies the place of a vowel. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Formal; everyday words: just, only. Comes from "mere" (a mere child). "Not merely ... but also" = not only ... but also.